Carburetor



June 24, 1930. o. H6ENS1GN 1,766,169

' I CARBURETOR Filed May 8, 1924 v Invenior wzlzizess Orville flEizJ gilPatented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES OBVILLE H. ENSIGN, OF PASADENA,CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ENSIGN CARBURETOR,

PATENT'OFFIC-E COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OFCALIFORNIA CARIBURETOR Application filed May 8, 1924. Serial No.711,913.

This invention relates-to means for automatically thinning atpredetermined mani- ,fold vacuums, the mixture produced by carburetorsattached to internal combustion en- 5 gines; such thinning to take placewhere vaporization caused by manifold depressions makes it possible touse a mixture thinner than the maximum power mixture.

An'object of this invention is to provide maximum economy in theoperation of internal combustion engines. 1

Another object is to provide novel automatic means for introducingatmospheric air into the fuel passage of a carburetor during certainpredetermined manifold depressions.

Another object is to introduce atmospheric air into the fuel passage ofthe carburetor during a fixed controlled speed of an automo-' tivevehicle up to say thirty-five or forty miles per hour, and tomomentarily cut off such introduction to restore maximum power mixtureuponany sudden opening of the throttle for a new speed, and to againintroduce such ir when the new controlled speed has been attained.

Another object is to provide novel means whereby the need ofaccelerating wells in carburetors may be avoided.

Features of this invention reside in applying to a suction chamber forsupplying a fuel passage with liquid fuel, atmospheric air through apassage controlled by two valves;

and in controlling'one of such valves by the depression in the mixingchamber; and controlling the other valve by the manifold de- I pression.

Features of the invention reside in the parts and combinations of partsmore specifically hereinafter referred to.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from theaccompany-- ing drawing, the subjoined detail description and theappended claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a preferred construction of theinvention as applied to a vortex type carburetor, .but it is understoodthat the invention may be applied to other types of carburetors.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a vortex type carburetorconstructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on line x2, Fig. 1.

The invention is applicable to various types H A through an air inlet 6,which opens into the atmosphere at 6'; and a throttle valve 7 thatcontrols the flow of the mixture through the mixture passage to themanifold and, as is well understood, said valve -7 also measurablycontrols the manifold depression under various speeds and loads.

The mixture passage 5 is supplied with fuel delivered from the floatchamber 1 through a fuel orifice 8, into a fuel suction chamber 9 wherethe fuel overflows through an intake 10 of a limited fuel passage thatopens into the mixture passage through orifices 11 and from j which thefuel is delivered into the main air stream.

Thereis provided an idling by-pass which is connected from beyond thethrottle through a port 12, horizontal passage 13, vertical passage 14and an extension 15 thereof, to the upper portion of the suction chamberabove the level of the fuel therein. This by-pass is provided with anunregulated vent 16 and with a regulated vent 17.

' To regulate the vent 17, there is provided the needle valve 18 held inposition by the retainer spring 19.

A choke valve 20 is fixed on a shaft 21 that is provided at one end witha lever arm 22 to which may be attached acont-rol wire, not shown, bymeans of a swivel 23 held by a screw 24. By this means the choke valvemay be closed or opened as may be desired for starting and operating theengine.

. The float 3 cooperates with the valve 26 to regulate the height of thefuel in the float I chamber.

The fuel orifice 8 is adjustable by a hollow sleeve 27 that forms thesuction chamber 9 and said sleeve has a portion 28 threaded into head31v is threaded onto the upper end of the sleeve 27 and provides meansby which said sleeve may be turned to more or "less restrict, or tofully open, the orifice 8. A retainer spring 32 holds the sleeve 27 inposition.

This invention resides in automatically regulating or varying the amountof depression in the suction chamber to control the flow of fuel throughthe fuel orifice 8 and consequently the flow of fuel that overflows thein take 10 of the fuel passage, and for convenience of construction Ihave provided in an upper solid end 33 of the hollow sleeve 27, a valvechamber 34 that is connected by passages 35 to the suction chamber 9,and by a small vent 35, to the atmosphere.

A vertical air chamber 36 is open to the atmosphere through a calibratedplug 37 threaded into the outer threaded end 38 of a passage 38, 38'that is drilled into the sleeve 27 on both sides of the chamber 36. Acheck valve 39 in the valve chamber 34 preferably operating by gravityand a depression from the mixture passage opens and closes communicationbet-ween said chambers 36. l The valve 39 has a stem 40 that extendsinto the recess 41, provided in the milled head 31, and said stemprevents accidental displacement of the valve 39.

The cover 30 is provided with an air vent 42 that opens'into the floatchamber. for the usual purpose; and has mounted thereon fuel economizingmeans comprising a boss 43 that is inclined for compactness and ease ofconnection to associated parts and has a bore 44 in which a piston 45 issnugly fitted and slidably mounted. The piston 45 has a reduced nose 46and is recessed at 47 to receive a compression spring 48 that operatesbetween the piston and a gland nut 49 that is threaded into the bore 44.The piston 45 divides the bore 44 into an air inlet chamber 50 and apiston chamber 51 which is open to a point beyond the throttle through atube 52 that passes through the gland nut 49;

The fuel economizing vent passage comprises the'air inlet chamber 50, aninlet port 53 connecting the chamber 50 to the atmosphere, orifice54,chamber 55, and passages 56 and 38' opening into the vertical air inletchamber 36 the outlet of,.which is controlled by valve 39. The chamberis formed in the cover 30 between an extension 29 of the cover 30 andthe hollow sleeve 27.

The air passage to the suction chamber from the inlet port 53 is closedwhen the carburetor is not in operation by the spring 48 forcing thenose 46 of the piston 45 against the orifice 54, and said passage isalso closed by the gravity valve 39.

In operation I obtain an economic use of fuel in internal combustionengines by automatically controlling the air vent to the suction chamber9 by utilization of the depres- 34 and I sions in said suction chamberand in the manifold. With a carburetor constructed in accordance withthis invention and applied to an internal combustion engine of anautomobile, the power and idling operations are well known and will notbe explained in detail except as modified by this invention.

lVith said. automobile engine idling, or with the car moving at sayabout five to seven miles per hour the .gravity valve 39 will be closedbecause the depression applied in the valve chamber 34 through thesuction chamber 9, passages 35 and'idling by-pass will not be greatenough to permit the lifting of such valve, thereby providing the usualmeans for obtaining a suitable mixture at iding or at very' light loadsor low motor spee s.

At any load or engine speed above about five to seven miles an hour thedepression applied in thevalve chamber from the main air stream will begreat enough to permit the atmospheric pressure admitted throughv theplug 37 into the chamber 36 to lift the gravity valve 39 off its seatand thus reduce the depression in the suction chamber 9 by allowing airto enter said chamber 9 through the plug 37, chambers 36 and 34, andspassages 35, thus forming a fixed supplemented atmospheric air ventinto the suction chamber that is open at all times during operation ofthe engine above idling'speeds or light loads. v

It is understood that the depression in the suction chamber is slightlyreduced at all times by the constant minute vent'35' to preventsiphoning.

When the throttle 7 is closed to idling. position the manifolddepression will be applied to the piston'cham'ber 51 through the tube 52and the piston 45 will be moved away from the orifice 54 compressing thesprin 48 which is of a predetermined strength and thus opens the fueleconomizing vent which supplies additional air to the suction chambersubject to further control by the gravity valve.

The tension of the spring 48 may vary with different types of enginesand is preferably of such strength that at all wide open throttlepositions and all speeds controlled by throttle above about 40 miles perhour on the level the depression applied in the piston chamber will not"be sufiicient to cause the piston to be opened against the compressionof the spring.

Referring, for illustration, to operation of an automobile in openingthe throttle to speed up the car to say 15 or 20 lmiles per hour, themanifold depression will fall and thereby momentarily interrupt theapplication of the depressionin the piston chamber and the spring 48will move the nose 46. agalnst the orifice 54 and close the fueleconomizing vent; but during this period of acceleration the gravityvalve will remain open due to the depression applied to the valvechamber 34 through openings 11 and the engine will thus receive anormalfull power mixture during acceleration periods.

As the car attains a controlled speed after acceleration the manifolddepression will rise and the fuel economizing vent will be ppened againand the engine will receive the thinnest mixture possible for goodeconomy. The same opening and closing of the fuel economizing vent willtake place when the throttle is suddenly opened to a position that .willrun the car at any appreciable increase of speed, that is to say, themanifold depression will momentarily fall after the throttle has beensuddenly opened and the fuel econ- .omizer valve will immediately closeduring such momentary fall of depression, thus an enabling a full powermixture to be delivered until the new controlled speed is obtained, or,in other words, throughout any range of controlled normal driving speed,

the fuel economizer valve is wide open except as for the time requiredto accelerate the car from one speed to another.

At any opening of the throttle beyond a point that will give the car aspeed of approximately 40- miles per hour the fuel economizing vent willbe inoperative as the depression applied to the piston chamber will notbe sufiicient to overcome the tension of the spring. and the engine willreceive maximum power mixture from such speed up to maximum car speed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided the suctionchamber of a carburetor with a passage that forms an air ent, and isopen to the atmosphere at'two points through the plug 37 and inlet port53 and I control such passage by two valves at 39, and that areautomatically operated by the. depressions from two separate points,one-of such points being in the mixture passage and the other of suchpoints being on the engine side of the throttle.

The method of producing and supplying an explosive mixture of air andfuel to the engine manifold will be apparent from the foregoing andmainly consists in first applying depression to the suction chamber tocause a flow of fuel from the fuel supply in the float chamber to theair supplied mixture passage and in then utilizing the depressionapplied in the suction chamber to admit atmospheric air to said suctionchamber to reduce the flow of fuel during heavy loads and all speedsabove idling and then utilizing predetermined manifold depresand openthe fuel economizing vent passage to admit an additional amount ofatmospheric air to the suction chamber to further reduce the flow offuel during throttle controlled loads and speeds from approximatesionsto automaticallyoperate the piston 47 l 1y five to forty miles per hourexcept during acceleration.

I claim.

1. A carburetor having a'suction chamber through which fuel is suppliedto the main air stream; a mixture passagefan air Vent leading from thesuction chamber and being open to the atmosphere attwo points; andvalves controlling said air vent, one of said valves being operable bythe depression at one point in said mixturepassage-to control one ofsaid openings, and another of said valves being operable by thedepression at another point along said mixture passage to control bothof said openings.

2. A carburetor adapted to be attached to an engine manifold, having incombination a float chamber, a suction chamber open to receive fuel fromthe float chamb ture passage; a fuel passage to deliver fuel from saidsuction chamber to said mixture passage; a check valve; means to admitatmospheric air to said suction chamber through said check valve; andmeans auto matically controlled by manifold depres sions to admitadditional atmospheric air to said suction chamberand under control ofsaid check valve to thin the normal mixture.

3i In a carburetor adapted to be attached to an engine manifold andprovided with a float chamber; a suction chamber communicating with saidfloat chamber through a fuel orifice; a throttle controlled mixturepassage adapted to receive fuel from said suction chamber; anair ventconnected to said suction chamber; a valve operated by a predetermineddepression in the mixture passage before the throttle and adapted toautomatically close said vent during idling and low speedmotoroperation; an economizer air vent adapted to supply-additional airto said suction chamber subject to control by said valve; and anothervalve adapted to normally close said economizer air vent and to holdopen, said economizer air vent at a predetermined, but differentdepression in the engine manifold.

4. In a carburetor provided with a float chamber, an air intake and athrottle controlled mixture passage; a suction chamber supplied withfuel from the float chamber through a fuel orifice, said suction chamberer; a mix-.

having an air vent; a gravity valve adapted" tension adapted to permitthe opening of the piston at certain predetermined manifold depressions.

In testimony whereof, I havehereunto set 5 my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 2nd day of May, 1924.

ORVILLE H. ENSIGN.

